Fearing Protests, Ingush Regime Guards Courthouse Where Oppositionist is Being Tried

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 5 – Ingush police have surrounded the court where a hearing is being held on the extension of the detention of Akhmed Barakhoyev a leader of the Council of Teips  of the Ingush People, until the fall and blocking access to the public and to his relatives, lawyer Fatima Urusova says (kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/336311/).

            Such security measures are highly unusual and suggest that the Yevkurov regime is worried about protests against its action as Ramadan ends. Indeed, Urusova says, this is “the first time” during all the hearings and trials of opposition figures over the last nine months that the authorities have taken such steps.

            Meanwhile, Yunus-Bek Yevkkurov took another step to try to limit protests against his repressive regime. While June 4 is the anniversary of the 1992 Russian Supreme Soviet decision creating the Ingush Republic, Yevkurov has delayed any commemoration until June 12, fearing that passions stirred by Ramadan might energize people against him (zamanho.com/?p=8664).

            Yevkurov’s desire to demobilize the Ingush people against him has had one positive development. His regime has delayed the transfer of those Ingush who have been living in barracks since the 1992 war with North Ossetia until June 20. Earlier, their fate had been indeterminate (zamanho.com/?p=8644).